Kovy looked really hurt last game and it makes sense now that he will be out of the game tonight nursing a lower body injury. He didn't play with that same intensity and fire I had seen from him throughout the season.
fortunaught Messages: 219 Registered: January 2011
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I hate saying that a team had to win game one to have a chance in the series, but the Devils emerging with a victory tonight will be solely the result of Ilya Bryzgalov being the best player on the ice for them. If he's halfway competent, then the Flyers depth should be way too much for the Devils to matchup with, especially with JVR rounding back into form and Kovy as a scratch. And a victory tonight will hopefully dissuade them from rushing Mezsaros back prematurely and saving him for the conference finals. As a holder of a 20-1 Flyer Cup ticket purchased with 2 months to go in the regular season along with a 12-1 Penguins ticket, I'm hoping that the boys are truly as good as they've looked of late, and that they can shore up enough in their own end to recognize their potential a season or two ahead of schedule. This could be a fun team to watch for some time to come, with expendible offensive parts to shore up any glaring defensive holes.
I hate saying that a team had to win game one to have a chance in the series, but the Devils emerging with a victory tonight will be solely the result of Ilya Bryzgalov being the best player on the ice for them.
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Flyers woke up from their slumber midway through Game 1. JVR did look good last game like you mention. Brodeur and the PK will definitely have to be tip top tonight for the Devils
mich.mercer Messages: 289 Registered: October 2010
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Kovalchuk's injury was very aparent in the last meeting. This is the only series i feel like it boils down to offense. I'm not a fan of either goal tender in this matchup. Brodeur is pushing 40 years old and he has his moments but he's not the goal tender everyone remembers. I call him "doublestack" one of the very few goaltenders ive seen and still see making the sliding double stack pad saves. He's still an NHL quality goaltender but I don't see him being able to steal games in this series. Phili on the other hand has the same issue they have every year. GOALTENDING. Bryzgalov is Jekyl and Hyde. One game he looks amazing and the next he couldn't stop a beach ball. I'm sure others may disagree with me but i think this series is all offense. NJ loves to get out to a quick start and try and hold on and the flyers seem to have an answer to every goal scored against them. I like Phili in this series and with Kovy out I like them even more. If Phili advances to the next round and to the cup I will be very curious to see how well they do against some strong goaltending and defensive play. Phili and over for me. Good luck in what ever you play.
fortunaught Messages: 219 Registered: January 2011
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My suggestion was that he's not the strongest net minder god ever crafted. In case that's what prompted the question marks. I actually think Bob would be a far better starting option for them to make a deep run, but at this point that would seemingly require an injury that I'm not really willing to root for. Just yet.
Ian Cameron Messages: 1617 Registered: October 2008
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Not surprising that the Devils played a much better defensive game last night minus Ilya Kovalchuk. He's improved away from the puck but he still has mental lapses as a defensive forward and can sometimes look bored on the ice if the puck isn't on his stick.
His absence was the ONLY reason I didn't pull the trigger on an OVER 5.5 bet last night. I figured without him that would hurt their scoring but more importantly, make New Jersey a better defensive group and it played out that way holding the Flyers to a paltry 21 shots in that game.
Always seems to be the case when top offensive and "important' pieces of a team are out of a lineup, the team generally plays better AND more importantly more defensive. We've already seen it twice so far this NHL playoffs where Pittsburgh had 3 "key" suspensions going into Game 4 vs Philadelphia and last night with Kovy out. In both case the teams needed a bit of a shakeup in the lineup anyway to wake everyone up and both games the teams with the suspensions/injuries responded with a W and went UNDER the total. Will we see the same tonight in Nashville with their suspensions???
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